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RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL. l AAAAAAAAAA ON'FILED APR 24 19|?.

Bassum Jam. 11, 1921.l 15,023.

Z'SHEES-SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

4IRGBERI DBISCOLL, OF MAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE NIDN SWTGH &

SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, IEN'NSYLVANIA, A. CORDRA'I10N-OF PENN- SYLVAN IA.

RAIL'iVAY-CRDSSI'NG SIGNAL.

Specification of Ressue Letters Patent.

Original No. 1,182,152, dated May 9, 1916, Serial No. 856,359, filed August '12, 1914. Application for reissue ledAprl 24, 1917. Serial No. 164,286.

To all 'whom vit may concern Be it known that I, Ronn'r E. DRisooLL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in thev county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates Ato railway crossing,r signals, and has for its objects to proylde means for 'warning the occupants of vehicles or others passing" on a highway of'the near proximity of railway trains, said means to consist of few and simple parts, so that manufacture may be economical and which will be efficient and durable in use. p

With the foregoing objects in view and others to be mentioned, the invention presients a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts described herein and claimed, and as illustrated in the drawing, wherein,-

Figure 1` is a diagrammatic view of the electrical conductors and. a partly broken view in side elevation of a signal, embodying the invention, parts thereof beiner in section. Fig. 2 is a partly broken, transverse section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing relativeposition o!" parts and the electrical conductors connected with the track.

Referring now to the drawingr for a more particular description, numeral 4 indicates a metallic post disposed adjacent to a railway crossing and provided with a metallic, transverse arm 5 preferably having a length sufficient to be disposed above the crossing. This arm is provided, intermediate its ends, with a pair of insulatedbrackets or contactplates indicated, respectively, at T and Carried by arm 5 and projecting below the brackets is a stationary, metallic supporting plate 9^, upon which, by means of the pivot pin 10, the signal or pendulum il is mounted, said pendulum vbeingr provided, inwardly of the mounting, with the toothed scctorlQ and a latch-arm 15, normally in engagement with the catch 2l. of thi` armature a.

Mounted on arm 5 is an elcctrmnagnct 14 provided with a .conductor 15 connnunicating with the battery 16. trical conductor connecting the battery 16 with one of the track rails 18 (Fig. 3), the

At 17 is an elecadjacent track rail 19 being provided with an electrical conductor 2O in contact with the post 4. It will be understood that the metallic parts of a locomotive or train, which may enter upon the track rails 18 and 19 will operate to close the circuit provided loy conductors 17 and 18, in a manner to energize the electromagnet 14, for causing the catch Q1 of armature a to be disengaged' from arm 13 of the pendulum, the track rails. 18- and 19 beingr insulated, as indicated at ZJ, from the track rails 18 and 19 to form the block A shown in Fig. 3. n

In order that the pendulum may have swinging movements while the train is upon the block A, the solenoids 22 and 23 are employed and are mounted, preferably, upon the lower side of arm 5, their cores c being provided With the rack bar 24 extending therebetween in engagement with the teeth of the sector 12, the solenoids being disposed substantially equi-distant from the respective contact plates T and 8.- i

At 25 is indicated a contact inger. lt is adapted to have swinging movements to move into alternate engagement with the contact piates 7 and 8 While mounted at-its lower end upon the pivot pin 10 when forcibly movedl by the projections or, lugs i and d which vextend outwardly from the sector. as best shownin Fig. 2.

At 2o is indicated a conductor electrically energized by the battery?? having a conductor a connected with the metallic arm 5, as shown in the drawing, a conductor b connecting this battery with the conductor 26, said conductor together with the con doctor 2,6 connecting the two solenoids, as shown; At 2S is a conductor connecting the solenoid 23 with contact plate 7. At 29 is a conductor connecting the solenoid 22 with contact plate 8, and when arm 13 is released from the catch 21, the rack bar will move in thc direction of the solenoid 23 for the reason that when the contact finger 25 is in cngamfmcnt with the plate 7 a circuit is completed from the battery 27 through theA conductors 7) and 26, solenoid 23, conductor 28, contact plate 7 finger 25, thence through the metallic parts 10, 9 and 5, and Wire or conductor c to said battery 27.

The swinging movement of the signal to-i ward' the post will canse engagement of the projection al with the contact finger 25 and move said finger into engagement with con-.. tact plate 8, said engagement causing a movement of the rack bar in a reverse direction, or toward the solenoid 22, for the reason that when the contact tinger 25 is in engagement with plate 8' the circuit is established for battery 2T through conductors 2G to solenoid 22, conductor 29 and thence to the battery 27 through contact plate 8.. finger 25, the metallic parts l0, 9 and 5 and conductor a; and the swinging movements ot' the signal will be continued until the train leaves the block A. It will be understood that when the train leaves Ablock A',

the electrical circuit between conductors'- 18... and 20 willbebroken, and the swinging movements of the signal will cease, for the reason that its armv 13 will be caught. by the catch 21, the amature a being released and adapted to swing downwardly'for engage ment with said arm, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing. A

Among some of the advantages to be derived by use of the invention, it may be stated that the parts employed in the con-` struction are few, thereby conduing to economy in manufacture. The normal tendency of the pendulum is to be constantly moving, its movements being terminated by the train leaving the block A, and remaining at rest until. another train enters said block.

The normal tendency of the armature of the.

electromagnet is to be in engagement with the latch arm of the pendulum and to remain in such engagement until a train'enters the block A. It is considered that thedisclosu're lelectromagnets. for causing repeated oscillation of said member about said interrnediate position, means controlled by said pendulum Jfor alternatelv energizing said electromagnets, means or latching said member in an-'inclined position in opposition tothe biasing torce acting on the member, and a third electromagnet `for controlling said latcliing means.

'2. A highway crossing signal comprising a pendulum-like visual Warning member biased to an intermediate position, means for causing repeated4 oscillation et. said member about said intermediate position, a pawl carried by said member, a latch adaptedvto engage said pawl tohold said member in an inclined position'in yopposition to thebiasing force acting on the member, and an electro-magnet for controlling said latch.

3. In combination, a signal member biwswd to an intermediate position, electnmiagnetic` means for causing repeated.oscillation oi said signal member about said intermediate position to indiratedanger. a circuit controller .operated by said signal member for controlling said electromagnetir' means, meanslfor locking said signal member in an extreme position in opposition to the biasing torce acting 'on the member. a nd an electromagnet for. controlling said last-mentioned means. Y

4. A railway crossing signal, comprising, in combination with a .suliportsai'iair ot electrically. coi'inected. oppositely disposed solenoids on the support. a vrack bar connecting the cores ot' the solenoids, a` pair of contact plates on the suiiport disposed in a plane substantially midway betweenl rthe solenoids, each contact plate being .electrically connected ivitl'i a .solenoid` a pivotally mountedvv pendulum having a latch and provided with a sector in engagement with the rack bar and having a contact tin# ger normally in'enga'gement with one of said contact plates', an electromagnet pro.-A vided With-a circuit and having an armature provided with av catch for engagement with the latch'arm of the pendulum when the circuit is opened.

A signal comprising a pendulum-.like warning member V'biased to an lintermediate position, means for causing-said member to oscillate continuously about said intermediate position through an arc of-definite amplitude to give one indication, and means for retaining said member at substantiall' one end ot' said are to give another indication.

Y '6d A signal comprising a penduluindike warning member biased to an intermediate position, 4. electrically controlled means for causing said member `to oscillate continuously labout said intermediate position through an arc ot'tlein'ite amplitude', and means for retaining said member at siibstantially one end of said arc to give another indication. v-

'7. A highway .crossing signal compi-isdn a pendulum-like uWarning member biase to an intermediate position, means for causing said. member to swing to and fro conicas tinuously about said intermediate position to give an indication, and means for retaining said member in aniinclmed posltion to give a diierent indication, said latter means .comprising a l pawl operatively connected with 4the member and periodically moved thereby into `retaining position, and an electromagnetic device for controlling said paWl.

8. A highway crossing signal comprising a pendulum-like visual warning member biased lto an .intermediate position, means for causing said member to swing to and fro continuously to give one indication, and. means ,for retainingV the member in an in- I vposi lined position in opposition to tbe biasing force acting thereon to give a different indication, said latter means comprising an electromagnet and -a pawl whicli\osc'illates 5 with the eniber.

9. A h hway 'crossing signal comprising 'a pendulum-like an intermediate Position, means or'caiising repeated oscillation of said member about 10' said intermediate position` and lmechanism or retaining said member in an inclined po- -sition including a art movedinto operative positionat periodic intervals by said oseillating means and electromagnetic means for 1 5 controlling said part.

10. A signal comprising a pendulum-like warning member biased to an intermediate position, `means for causing said member to ,-sfyvin'gmto and fro about said intermediate `tio`nf`=to give one indication, and electromagneticnieans for retaining said member Warning member biased to' in an inclined position to give a different indication, said latter means comprising a ixed pai-t and a part operatively connected with said member and movable thereby towardsaidixed part.

11. A signal comprisingr a pendulum-like visual warning member biased to :unintermcdiate position. means for causing said member `to oscillatev about said intermediate position, a pawl operatively connected t with the member to" oscillate therewith, and i electi'oinagne'tically Acontrolled means for liolding said pawl to latch the member in an inclined posit-ion in opposition to the biasing force actingr thereon.`

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence o1 two witnesses.

ROBT. E. DRISCOLL.-

fitnessesz F. W. PFLEGING, GEO. MARLorF. 

